Light fixtures, or luminaires, may be configured with a variety of light source orientations and/or technologies, and utilized to achieve a variety of lighting effects. For example, a luminaire may be utilized to shine direct light into a living/working space. In another example, a luminaire may be utilized to shine indirect light into a living/working space by reflecting light off of one or more ceiling/wall/floor surfaces. Accordingly, luminaires having many different configurations exist, including, among others, downlights, recessed luminaires, linear light fixtures, and/or pendant light fixtures. In one example, one or more luminaire configurations may utilize fluorescent tube light sources, wherein, at least in part due to their widespread use, one or more lighting characteristics (color temperature, luminous flux, shadow characteristics, among others) of such fluorescent tube light sources may be desired of any alternative light source technologies.
In one example, light-emitting diode (LED) light sources may be utilized in a luminaire. Advantageously, LEDs offer increased energy efficiency when compared to fluorescent tube, incandescent, or other light source technologies. The light emitted by LED light sources may, however, be comparatively more directional than light emitted by fluorescent tube light sources. As a consequence, in one example, a shadow cast from an LED light source may have a comparatively more abrupt transition between an illuminated area, and an area of shadow. A fluorescent tube light source may, in contrast, cast a shadow having a comparatively more gradated transition between an illuminated area and an area of shadow. Accordingly, in some instances, it may be desirable for a luminaire utilizing LED light sources to emulate those shadow characteristics of a fluorescent tube light source (e.g. it may, for example, be more desirable for a consumer who is familiar with luminaires utilizing fluorescent tube light sources). As such, a need exists for improvements in luminaire design, including improvements in one or more mechanisms for altering an appearance of a shadow cast from a luminaire utilizing LED light sources.